Roots of Progress Institute

What Jason and RPI were up to in 2024, including Jason's annual “highlights from things I read this year”

Clinical trial abundance, an AI course assistant, grid-scale fusion, “Live Gloriously,” off-grid solar for data centers, permitting vs. compliance, crossword mania, democratizing art-making, and more Links and short notes, 2024-12-27:

First batch of recorded talks from Progress Conference 2024 are available now for your holiday viewing pleasure! 17 videos featuring Tyler Cowen, Steven Pinker, Jason Crawford, Casey Handmer, Bret Kugelmass, Celine Halioua, Virginia Postrel, Julia DeWahl, Eli Dourado, Saloni Dattani, Marian Tupy, Alec Stapp, John Wilbanks, Benjamin Reinhardt, Johan Norberg, Chad Jones, and Emily Chamlee-Wright Special thanks to Freethink for their excellent work producing these. A few final videos to come after the holidays!

Elon says that soon, builders “will be free to build” in America. If that promise is to be fulfilled, we have work to do. A wishlist of policy goals to advance scientific, technological, and economic progress:

Progress links and short notes: Brain mapping, walkable cities, progress on the curriculum, and much more

A new article in Science Policy Forum voices concern about a line of biological research which, if successful in the long term, could eventually create a grave threat to humanity and to most life on Earth. Fortunately, the threat is distant, and avoidable—but only if we have common knowledge of it:

The Techno-Humanist Manifesto, Chapter 4: The Life Well-Lived (part 2) Techno-humanism embraces the need for meaning, but rejects the idea that meaning is eroded by material progress. Material progress has greatly increased the amount of meaning in individual lives, and it can continue to do so—if we let it, and if we choose it.

WANTED: Event Manager (full-time, remote) We’re looking for a super-organized self-starter who loves bringing people together in person around a shared set of ideas and who is great at creating magical experiences. The Roots of Progress Institute is a nonprofit dedicated to establishing a new philosophy of progress for the 21st century. We’re part of a larger progress and abundance movement, and one key role we play within this movement is to develop talent and to build community. As the Event Manager, you’ll be in charge of our annual progress conference, which brings together 200-300 thinkers and doers in the progress community. Our first event in October 2024 was a huge success, with 200+ invitation-only attendees coming together at a unique venue for two days. Dozens of attendees shared that this was the best conference they ever attended, and that it was “THE network to connect with the founders, writers, academics, and activists working to build a better world.” You will be running the event next year, and of course get to attend it, too! You will also be in charge of other events, from smaller fundraising salon-type gatherings, to the in-person gathering at the end of our annual writer’s fellowship. This role reports to Heike Larson, our Vice President of Programs. It is a full-time position that is fully remote within in the contiguous US or Canada, but ideally, you’ll be located in/near a city with a major airport as the role requires a couple of multi-day trips every quarter, and around ten days on-site during the time of the annual conference. Read more and apply: https://lnkd.in/evn-Y-g6

The first progress conference was a huge success. Progress Conference 2025 will happen next October. More info early next year! Also, we’re hiring an Event Manager to help us make this an annual event and to run other in-person events:

The links digest is back! Announcements from Astera Institute, Foresight Institute, Works In Progress, and more; plus other links, quotes and little notes for paid subscribers: